Mirai Movie Review
This was definitely a super heartwarming story. If you like animation at all I would highly recommend seeing this. From director and writer Mamoru Hosoda (the Digimon movies anyone?) comes a fascinating look at family dynamics from the point of view of a young boy.
Kun’s life is turned upside down when his parents bring home his baby sister, Mirai, from the hospital. If you’re an oldest child you might be able to remember this feeling. Mirai demands a lot of attention from the parents and Kun struggles to express how he feels. He acts out and throws tantrums which only causes his parents to struggle more. Feeling neglected and misunderstood, Kun begins to dislike each member of his family one by one.
That’s when he discovers the garden at his house is magical and connects him with the future and the past. He meets an older Mirai, his mother as a child, and his great-grandpa as a young man. In each time traveling episode Kun learns something valuable and gets to socialize with different members of his family. He goes on a journey to discover who he is and how he is forever connected with each member of his family.
Kun is the absolute cutest little animated boy and he is the heartbeat of the movie. Plus, so many parts of this movie were hilairous. For example, there’s a great scene where Kun meets his dog Yukko in human form. Afterwards he tells his parents that Yukko told him he didn’t like the cheap brand of dog food they’ve been feeding him. I can totally picture my own dog in human form complaining about her food.
This movie will take you back to your childhood and will make you feel connected to the struggles of growing up. I thought it was really imaginative and had a great message about family. I also liked that Kun’s emotions were put fully on display. So often children’s emotions are not taken seriously in movies, but Hosoda did a great job with it. I enjoyed watching Kun as he worked out how he was feeling. That’s why I think Mirai is a great movie for kids and adults alike.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like Japanese animation
2. You like stories about childhood
3. You like stories about family
